Tuesday, March 28, 2017

MLGW spends $76 million with minority, women and local companies

Additional
opportunities on tap for businesses at procurement conference

Our Supplier Diversity program reported its highest
year-end spending in the 20-year history of the program with roughly $76.4
million – or 33 percent of the utility’s $234 million spend for procurement – to
minority, women and locally-owned small businesses (MWBE/LSBs) in 2016.

This marks a $29
million increase from 2015 when the program recorded $47 million – or 37 percent
of $127 million – to MWBE/LSBs.

The utility will
connect with businesses during its fifth annual
Proactive Procurement Conference, March 30, 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at MLGW’s Joyce
M. Blackmon Training Center, 4949 Raleigh LaGrange Rd. Business
owners will have an opportunity to meet one-on-one with MLGW project managers,
end-users and procurement professionals to preview MLGW’s 2017 contracting and
purchasing needs.

MLGW procurement
spending includes the purchasing of goods and supplies, contracts and services
outside the company. Those services include such things as construction, lawn
maintenance and information services consulting to products ranging from utility
wires, gas pipes and computer equipment. The Supplier Diversity program’s
spending breaks down to nearly $22.8 million to locally-owned small businesses,
$10.9 million to women-owned business enterprises and $42.6 million to
minority-owned business enterprises.

“Each year our
Supplier Diversity representatives reach out to minority, women and local small
companies to determine areas where we can do more business with them,” said
Jerry Collins Jr., president and CEO of MLGW. “This is our 20th year
of the program and the way we continue to increase our spending each year with
MWBE/LSBs reflects our diversity as a company, speaks to our determination to
enhance businesses and it has a direct economic impact on the city of Memphis
and Shelby County.”

In 2014, MLGW began
the Sheltered Market program designed to expand small businesses. This race and
gender neutral program shelters any purchase under $100,000 by offering three or
more certified local small businesses the opportunity to bid on products or
services. A portion of the total spend for the year, the Sheltered Market
program also increased an additional $1 million from the year prior to $10.6
million in 2016 and continues to provide growth for local
businesses.

MLGW is looking for the following goods and services this
year:Building
Construction Contractors; HVAC Contractors; Electrical Contractors; Engineering
Services; Training and Development Consultants; Concrete and Asphalt
Contractors; Pest Control and Termite Service Providers; Computer
Hardware/Software Service Providers; Business Service Consultants; Temporary
Employment Providers and Information Services Consulting.

For more information about MLGW’s Supplier Diversity and Sheltered Market
programs, visit mlgw.com/supplierdiversity. Register for the conference and view
the agenda here.